LOCAL School focuses on strength, weakness...

October 05, 2006

LOCALSchool focuses on strength, weakness Students at Dowagiac's McKinley Elementary School are approaching education in a whole new way this year, right along with their teachers. And to hear students and teachers analyze the program -- so far, so good. Each day, Monday through Thursday, first-, second- and third-graders spend time in their homerooms working on the traditional curriculum; then they move to "differentiated learning" groups for writing work in the afternoon. B1In Michigan, job losses make for a tight race Armed with a college degree, an MBA and a decade of experience at one of the world's biggest car companies, Joe Warnez lived on Michigan's economic Big Rock Candy Mountain with the same expectations as workers who preceded him: Put the kids through college, buy a cabin up North and retire comfortably with a fishing rod. Then he got laid off and, after bouncing around in dead-end jobs for the past five years, the 44-year-old Warnez is now driving a truck. His situation is typical in Michigan, where economic problems dominate the governor's race. B4LMC unites with Michigan Works! For area job-seekers, getting connected with employers -- and acquiring the skills to make those connections work before they even happen -- is part of Michigan Works' transformation with newly contracted partner Lake Michigan College. LMC, which was recently awarded a $4 million Workforce Development contract with the three-county career services organization, began the partnership this week. B1BUSINESSK's Merchandise Mart readies for liquidation After a last-ditch effort to try to save the retail company, K's Merchandise Mart is closing its 17-store chain -- including the Grape Road, Mishawaka, location -- after a liquidation sale is completed. C10